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New York Philharmonic

The New York Philharmonic is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious orchestras. It is a symphony orchestra based in the Lincoln Center in the United States and is among the top American orchestras referred to as the ‘Big Five'.

Founded in 1842 by a group of local musicians led by American-born Ureli Corelli Hill, the New York Philharmonic is by far the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. It currently plays some 180 concerts a year, and on May 5, 2010, gave its 15,000th concert - a milestone unmatched by any other symphony orchestra.

Since its inception the Orchestra has championed the new music of its time, commissioning or premiering many important works, such as Dvorák's Symphony No. 9, From the New World; Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3; Gershwin's Concerto in F; and Copland's Connotations, in addition to the U.S. premieres of works such as Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 and Brahms's Symphony No. 4. This pioneering tradition has continued to the present day, with works of major contemporary composers regularly scheduled each season, including John Adams's Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning On the Transmigration of Souls; Melinda Wagner's Trombone Concerto; Wynton Marsalis's Swing Symphony (Symphony No. 3); Christopher Rouse's Odna Zhizn; John Corigliano's One Sweet Morning, for mezzo-soprano and orchestra; Magnus Lindberg's Piano Concerto No. 2;and, as of the end of the 2011-12 season, 14 works in CONTACT!, the new-music series.

Long a leader in American musical life, the Philharmonic has become renowned around the globe, having appeared in 431 cities in 63 countries on five continents. In October 2009 the Orchestra, led by Music Director Alan Gilbert, made its debut in Hanoi, Vietnam, in the Hanoi Opera House. In February 2008 the musicians, led by then-Music Director Lorin Maazel, gave a historic performance in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea - the first visit there by an American orchestra and an event that was watched around the world, and for which the Philharmonic received the 2008 Common Ground Award for Cultural Diplomacy. Other historic tours have included the 1930 Tour to Europe, the first European tour with Toscanini; the first tour of South America and Latin America, in 1958; the first tour to the U.S.S.R., in 1959; the 1984 Asia Tour, including the first tour of India; the 1998 Asia Tour, with the first performances in mainland China; and the 75th Anniversary European Tour in 2005 with Lorin Maazel. In 2012 the Orchestra became an International Associate of London's Barbican, with an extended residency comprising four concerts, including a London edition of the Young People's Concerts. Highlights of the EUROPE / SPRING 2013 tour include a performance of Magnus Lindberg's Kraft at Volkswagen's Die Gläserne Manufaktur (The Transparent Factory) in Dresden and the Philharmonic's first appearance in Turkey in 18 years.

The Orchestra has built on its long-running Young People's Concerts, which began in 1924, to develop a wide range of education programs. In the 2005-06 season the Orchestra introduced Very Young People's Concerts, intimate events that introduce pre-schoolers to musical ideas and concert-going through performances as well as games, stories, and hands-on music-making with Philharmonic musicians. Beyond the stage, other education initiatives include the School Partnership Program, which enriches music education in New York City; Credit Suisse Very Young Composers, which gives students a foundation to express themselves through original works, often performed by Philharmonic musicians; and Learning Overtures, which fosters international exchange among educators and has already reached as far as Japan, South Korea, Venezuela, and Finland.

The New York Philharmonic, a long-time media pioneer, began radio broadcasts in 1922 and is currently represented by The New York Philharmonic This Week - syndicated nationally 52 weeks per year and available on nyphil.org. On television, in the 1950s and ‘60s, the Orchestra inspired a generation through Bernstein's Young People's Concerts on CBS. Its television presence has continued with annual appearances on Live From Lincoln Center on PBS, and in 2003 it made history as the first orchestra ever to perform live on the Grammy awards, one of the most-watched television events worldwide. In 2004 the New York Philharmonic was the first major American orchestra to offer downloadable concerts, recorded live. Following on this innovation, in 2009 the Orchestra announced the first-ever subscription download series: Alan Gilbert: The Inaugural Season, available exclusively on iTunes, produced and distributed by the New York Philharmonic, and comprising more than 50 works performed during the 2009-10 season. Since 1917 the Philharmonic has made almost 2,000 recordings, with more than 500 currently available. In 2004 it became the first major American orchestra to offer downloadable concerts, recorded live; the Philharmonic's self-produced recordings continue with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic: 2012-13 Season.
On June 4, 2007, the New York Philharmonic proudly announced a new partnership with Credit Suisse, its first-ever and exclusive Global Sponsor.